South Carolina planning for social distancing at sports venues in the fall, Caslen says
South Carolina school president Robert Caslen announced Wednesday the school expects to resume in-person instruction in mid-August.
There will likely be some limits when it comes to returning to Williams-Brice Stadium and the Gamecocks’ other sports venues.
Caslen’s letter announcing the decision to re-open the campus includes language about social distancing at athletic events in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The question of if college sports would be held in the fall hinges a great deal on having students back on campus.
“We will follow clear public health protocols, including social distancing within classrooms, lecture halls, meeting rooms and sports venues, with strong encouragement of proper social distancing off campus,” Caslen wrote.
What that looks like is not yet clear. Experts say social distancing could mean stadiums at 15%-35% capacity with notable changes in concessions, ticketing and flow of fans in and out of stadiums.
Earlier in the week, an athletic department spokesman told The State the department is not yet comfortable discussing social distancing plans.
Beyond football, with the 80,000-plus seat stadium, South Carolina’s soccer teams and volleyball teams also play in the fall.
The letter from Caslen also says, “We will begin by phasing in an increased presence on campus this summer of selected populations of students and faculty, even as summer courses remain online.”
Football players and other athletes are often on campus through the summer, and the ability to get teams back for conditioning and practice was part of the concern about potentially pushing back the start of the season.
As it stands now, USC’s football team is scheduled to host Coastal Carolina on Sept. 5.
This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 12:44 PM.
